↑(en) Susan Fast, In the Houses of the Holy : Led Zeppelin and the Power of Rock Music: Led Zeppelin and the Power of Rock Music, Oxford University Press,‎ 2001, 272 p.(ISBN978-0-1980-3359-2), p. 33 :

« The song represents a defining moment in the genre of hard rock, combining the elements of speed, power, an artful and metrically clever riff (one of the most important characteristics of the tune) »

↑(en) Jon Bream, Whole Lotta Led Zeppelin: The Illustrated History of the Heaviest Band of All Time, Voyageur Press,‎ 2010 (ISBN978-0-7603-3955-8) :

« [Led Zeppelin IV] balances the blues-rock grind of “Black Dog” against the sun-dappled utopianism of “Going To California” »